Aston Villa have reportedly identified AC Milan defender Pervis Estupinan as a potential replacement for Lucas Digne, who is said to be Paris Saint-Germain bound.
The 32-year-old is expected to complete a move to the French giants once the World Cup concludes, with Villa looking to raise funds and reduce our wage bill this summer.
Having played a pivotal role in our progress and success since joining in 2022, Digne’s presence in the squad will be missed should his move go through without any late issues, but Villa must now identify and sign a replacement to fill the void that he is going to leave behind.
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According to The Athletic’s Jacob Tanswell, Digne will make the move to Paris in a deal worth less than £10m as per a release clause in his current contract, and although Ian Maatsen is now seen as the long-term solution at left-back for Unai Emery and Villa, Estupinan is being targeted as a replacement to ensure that we still have quality and competition in the position.
The Ecuadorian international isn’t the only player being considered as a solution though, with Fabrizio Romano reporting that Villa have a three-man shortlist with Estupinan being one of the options in it, but it remains to be seen who the other two are and whether or not they become the more realistic targets in the coming days and weeks.
Emery knows the former Brighton star well after their time working together at Villarreal, and so it could be a move that makes sense for all concerned, as Maatsen must still be pushed to make that starting role his own, while Villa will want to continue to compete across multiple fronts and depth will be needed in order to ensure that happens.
Losing Digne is a blow as he’s been a reliable stalwart for us, but the time seemingly has come to move on and hopefully reshuffle the pack across the squad in order to improve, strengthen and be increasingly competitive both in the short-term and long-term future.